The Application of Cloud Computing To eLearning - Research Proposal Example

Research Proposal The Application of Cloud Computing To eLearning Table of Contents 2 Literature Review 3 Key Research Questions 6 Research Methodology 6 Sampling 7 Timeline/Research Planning 7 References 8 Abstract The research perceives that there is an emergence of online education with new technological advancements, where the current eLearning systems are very expensive due to their hardware and software requirements. The research has argued that the implementation of cloud computing in eLearning system can be the best solution, and the literature has identified a number of benefits and challenges of cloud based eLearning system, but there is lack of a practical evidence. This research aims at evaluating the most important and prevalent benefits, issues, and consequences of implementing the cloud computing in an eLearning system in context of Malaysian Educational Institutes. The research will collect data from both primary and secondary data sources, with the help of interviews and structured questionnaires, where the convenient sampling will be used. The data will be analyzed by positivist philosophy and will employ the Multiple Regression analysis to access the most important issues and benefits, as well as inductive approach will be used to evaluate the consequences of cloud based eLearning. The research will employ the mixed methodology by relating both qualitative and quantitative methods with the intention of justifying the quality of research from both methodological perspectives. It is assumed that the research will be completed in approximately four months. Literature Review With the emergence of new developments in information technology and computing, the traditional ways of taking education seem to be unsuitable for today’s educational environment. Now, there are different requisites for social encroachment and educational advancement, where the traditional ways of education cannot fulfill today’s demands of learning. In this scenario, According to Laisheng & Zhengxia (2011), the computer networks and the internet provide great opportunities for the new ways of education, where the education is provided online through these computer networks, called as electronic learning. The e-learning is basically the “…internet-enabled learning…” (Fernández, et al., 2012, p. 35). The e-learning system has been seen a lot nowadays, but these are usually placed within the educational organizations that is quite expensive and create many issues like no capital gains and growth prospects, as argued by (Laisheng & Zhengxia, 2011). The issues with the current e-learning systems were also discussed by Hashemi and Monfaredi (2013), where it is argued that the huge investments to cover the software and hardware requirements are needed to run the E-learning system, and these systems become expensive that are difficult to afford by the educational institutions. Hashemi and Monfaredi (2013) claimed that the recent technological advancements have provided a better solution for this, where they suggested the “…cloud computing is the best solution as it delivers the computing resources (hardware and software) as a service over the internet, and it provides resources and capabilities of information technology via services offered by CSP (cloud service provider)…” (Hashemi & Monfaredi, 2013, p. 104). According to Leavitt, (2009), the cloud computing can be a less costly solution, as it provides the users with software and hardware resources and all the educational applications by giving them access to the internet, as a service, not as a product. But these are delivered as products in the conventional way. The main conception of cloud computing is that the resources are not procured by investing a large amount, but they are given an access through the internet and are charged on the basis of subscriptions or usage, just like the way a newspaper or electricity is charged on a monthly basis (Leavitt, 2009). In line with this argument, Pocatilu, et al. (2010) have argued that there is an upsurge in the employment of cloud computing, especially in the educational institutions due to a number of benefits it provides (Pocatilu, et al., 2010). There are a number of studies that have researched over the use of cloud computing in eLearning, their benefits and the challenges that they may face in order to implement this solution (Fernández, et al., 2012; Pocatilu, et al., 2010; Leavitt, 2009; Bora & Ahmed, 2013; Al-Zoube, 2009; Laisheng & Zhengxia, 2011; Ercan, 2010). All these studies are inconsistent with the issue that the cloud computing has a great opportunity in its application to the eLearning or educational organizations. Among these, the Ercan, (2010) has argued that the cloud application in the e-learning environment provides a lot of assistance to the teachers and students due to its vigorous scalability and also the utilization of hardware and software resources through the internet as a service. Hashemi and Monfaredi (2013) and Fernández, et al., (2012) have provided with the cloud based eLearning system architecture, which is shown below in the figure 1, and they have discussed the benefits and advanced the research by elaborating the issues and challenges in implementation of this architecture. The benefits discussed by Hashemi and Monfaredi (2013) were the enhanced improbability, virtualization, enhanced performance, low cost, centralized data storage, easy monitoring, easy up gradation, improved document compatibility, and quick access to a large pool of knowledge by both students and teachers. While the issues identified were the privacy issues and security problems, lack of reliability and all-time service, and the higher costs incurred for the bandwidth (Hashemi & Monfaredi, 2013). In addition to these issues, (Fernández, et al., 2012) have also argued that there is another technical issue in implementation of cloud computing, as there is also a need to lower the electric charge with the help of micro-processors that will have lower energy usage. Figure 1. A cloud architecture for e-Learning. Source: (Fernández, et al., 2012, p. 42) The above architecture provides the way in which the cloud can be implemented in the eLearning system, and shows how the users can have access to the information through the internet. In addition, (Karim & Goodwin, 2013) have argued for the suitability of cloud computing’s characteristics within the eLearning framework, when on-demand entreetofistics of on-demand entree by users, wide access to the link, combining the resources, and flexible delivery of services (Karim & Goodwin, 2013). The main disadvantages of these were also elaborated by (Karim & Goodwin, 2013), which includes; a need of internet connection, low connectivity when the speed is low, and also the information security issues. It can be argued here that most of the literature has discussed the benefits, issues, and challenges involved in the implementation of cloud computing in eLearning system, but the literature lacks a practical evidence of these benefits and issues, and the solutions that can be offered to overcome them. Though, some have discussed the solutions, but they have not practically evaluated their consequences. There is a research gap of practically examining the consequences of this implementation, which is targeted by this research. Key Research Questions The key research question is, “what are the most important and prevalent benefits, issues, and consequences of implementing the cloud computing in an eLearning system in context of Malaysian Educational Institutes?” Following are the main aims and objectives of the research. To practically assess the most important and prevalent benefits by application of cloud computing in an eLearning system in Malaysia. To find out the practical consequences of a cloud based eLearning system To suggest a solution for overcoming the issues and challenges posed by the cloud based eLearning system. Research Methodology The research methodology is suggested on the basis of research onion by (Saunders, et al., 2011). To attain the research aims and objectives, the study will collect both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data sources are the interviews conducted from the system developers and other relevant personnel and experts in Malaysian educational institutions, and also the structured questionnaires will be used to collect data. And the secondary data sources are the specialized journal articles, conference reports, books, and news. The data analysis will be performed with the positivist philosophy, as it provides with logical reasoning to analyze the data, and also the statistical tools will be used, such as Multiple Regression analysis to access the most important issues and benefits. The research will employ the mixed methodology by relating both qualitative and quantitative methods with the intention of justifying the quality of research from both methodological perspectives. Sampling The convenient sampling will be employed due to the constraints of time and cost. The sample size for the interview is assumed to be two to three experts from different educational institutes in Malaysia. They are chosen as they are responsible for implementing the cloud based e-learning. For collecting the data with structured questionnaire, it is assumed to be 10 to 12 persons from every educational institute. Timeline/Research Planning It is estimated that the research project will be completed in approximately four months. Research Proposal approval One week Reviewing the Literature to get secondary data One month Data collection from relevant educational institutes One and half month Data analysis Two weeks Writing the Report and concluding Two weeks References Al-Zoube, M., 2009. E-Learning on the Cloud. International Arab Journal of e-Technology, 1(2), pp. 58-64. Bora, U. J. & Ahmed, M., 2013. E-Learning using Cloud Computing. International Journal of Science and Modern Engineering (IJISME), 1(2), pp. 9-13. Ercan, T., 2010. Effective use of cloud computing in educational institutions. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), p. 938–942. Fernández, A., Peralta, D., Herrera, F. & Benítez, J. M., 2012. An Overview of E-Learning in Cloud Computing. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 173(1), pp. 35-46. Hashemi, S. Y. & Monfaredi, K., 2013. E-learning Based on Cloud Computing: Issues and Benefits. MAGNT Research Report, 2(4), pp. 104-109. Karim, I. & Goodwin, R., 2013. Using Cloud Computing in E-learning Systems. International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science & Technology (IJARCST), 1(1), pp. 65-69. Laisheng, X. & Zhengxia, W., 2011. Cloud Computing: A New Business Paradigm for E-learning. Measuring Technology and Mechatronics Automation, 1(1), pp. 716 - 719. Leavitt, N., 2009. Is Cloud Computing Really Ready for Prime Time. IEEE Computer, 42(1), p. 15–20. Pocatilu, P., Alecu, F. & Vetrici, M., 2010. Using Cloud Computing for E-learning Systems. RECENT ADVANCES on DATA NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS, 1(1), pp. 54-59. Saunders, M. N., Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A., 2011. Research Methods for Business Students. 5th ed. New Delhi: Pearson Education India. Read More